Improve Search by Answering People’s Questions

With the likes of Google Voice for search, and the evolution of search in general, search queries are becoming longer and more informational in nature. People are asking questions, and Google wants to answer those questions with good information. More and more Google is developing a first page of results that provides better information for the searcher. Google’s knowledge graph, Airline information, best local restaurants are a few of the examples of how Google is taking up more of the first page than giving website results for the searcher to click on.

The launch of Humminbird is geared towards satisfying this goal. Take the following example as a case in point. It use to be that if someone needed instructions on how to change their oil they would type in “oil change instructions.” Now they are asking, either through a typed-in query or a voice search query, “how do I change my oil.” That is the trend that Google is seeing and wants to deliver better results to the user to satisfy those trends. Head terms are giving way to the longer tail queries that ask a question.

To optimize your website for the search engines, you need to be thinking about the questions you can answer for your customers and make sure that you provide the answers on the appropriate pages. “How To’s” and informational answers to their questions will become more important.

Define your audience, then focus your efforts on content that will provide the information they are looking for. Creating content that addresses the best widget for a certain use, and back it up with why it is the best widget, is another trend that Google is recognizing.

Establish alliances or partnerships with industry related sources to produce good content information that touts the best of the best. The primary focus in 2014 for the big brand companies will be content marketing.